A Good Bot Goes to War
by ZeDancingHobbit
Summary: Raf overhears something he wasn't supposed to, and never wanted to. Spoilers for season 3 finale. One shot. Complete.


**Because was no-one else surprised that Raf didn't have a big reaction to the fact that FREAKING MEGATRON IS DEAD? Plus. Yeah. This needed to be written. **

OoOoO

He has never felt so helpless.

As he sits at his laptop and types furiously, trying numerous attempts to hack into the Nemesis's mainframe and help his friends, with his every try rejected, Rafael Esquivel has never before felt this weak, powerless. Not when bullies at school picked on him. Not when he and the others were trapped in the shadow zone. Not any of the numerous times when he was left at home while his friends (family) left to fight. Because he knows that if he can't do something, anything, to help them, hack into the ship some how, (electrify some circuits, cut power, have random engines spontaneously combust, anything) someone is going to die. The 'Cons are too powerful and the odds too great for anything else.

He hears odd snippets of the battle every now and then. Someone's comm link must be malfunctioning, (most likely Smokescreen. Leave it to the rookie to have screwy equipment) because it'll turn on, he'll hear the battle roaring, and then it will shut off and he'll be left in silence for a few minutes.

And that's how he works. Little ole' Raf, dependable little Raf, lonely little Raf. Stuck with no-one but Agent Fowler, (whoop-de-fricken-doo) he types and prays and types some more, and all the while (to get his mind off the stress) he thinks of what he and Bee are going to do when the 'Bots get home. Because they will. They have to.

All of them.

Suddenly, the comm link clicks on again, and Raf hears the thumping sounds of battle. Amidst the carnage, Ratchet's voice is heard.

"Optimus, you must use the saber to destroy them Omega Lock. It is the only way to save Earth!"

Bumblebee clicks and whirrs, his voice strained under exertion, ("Optimus! Catch!") and Raf can't help but smile in relief at hearing his best friend's voice (or lack thereof). At least he's safe.

Megatron exclaims, "The Star Saber!" and Raf's stomach drops as shot are fired. One, two, three. Bang, bang, bang. There's a thumping, grinding noise, (all other fighting has gone silent) and then another shot. Bang.

Time is frozen. Raf has stopped typing, only able to listen in terror. Pleaselethimmisspleaselethimmiss pleasepleaseplease, he prays over and over and over again in his mind. Maybe he's not shooting at Bee. Maybe it's not Bee at all. Pleaselethimmiss pleasepleaseplease.

But his prayers go unanswered, because he hears a pained cry that sounds terribly like Bumblebee, and there is a cacophony of chaos. Arcee is screaming, and Smokescreen is yelling "Bumblebee!" and there is thrashing and thumping and then a terrible, horrible splash. Optimus growls out a savage "Noooo-" and then the comm is cut off.

It's enough.

Raf is paralyzed in horror. He sits and stares at his laptop, his eyes wide and swimming with tears. His jaw hangs slack. Tears stream down his cheeks and fall onto his laptop with little tiny 'plops'. Normally he'd wipe them away, protecting his prized possession, but that pales in comparison to the tragedy that has just taken place. Bee? Dead? ...Bee?

Dead?

His mind repeats the two words over and over again until they're screaming in his brain so loud it's almost unbearable. His chest heaves, trying to take in the air that has been stolen from his lungs.

His best friend is dead.

Bumblebee.

Is.

Dead.

He's not even sobbing. He'd think that, under the circumstances, he would do more than sit here in silent horror. He'd think he'd scream. Sob. Try to contact Optimus. Anyone. Anything.

But he can't.

For so long, Raf hadn't had anyone to count on. Sure, he had his family, but besides that, he'd had himself, his car, and his computer to keep him company. No-one wanted to associate with 'The Freak'. The little kid who should've been in 7th grade, who took 11th grade classes and read psychics books for fun. Who wanted to be friends with that? He had been so alone.

And then came Bee, and his whole life turned around. Here was someone who wanted to be friends. Who would play games with him. Drive with him. Laugh with him. Listen to him cry when the bullies at school were too much.

No-one understood Raf, and no-one understood Bee either. So of course they'd understand each other.

The past year or so had been the best year of Raf's life. And this...this was the worst day of it. (Day? Minute? Hour? Month? Millennia?)

It seems he sits there for ages. He hears Fowler come stepping closer, but doesn't bother to turn around. More tiny plops on the laptop. He draws in a shuddering breath, but can't feel any air come into his lungs.

The best thing in his life is gone.

"I'm sorry, kid," Fowler says gently as he places a hand on Raf's shoulder. Raf bites his lip as his chin trembles, his eyebrows furrowing as anger wells within him (Get away go away leave me alone what do you know get away). Fowler withdraws his hand and leans against the desk heavily. He looks drained.

Raf runs a hand through his hair. He doesn't know what to do with himself. He's numb to the outside world. He could get his hand chopped off by a chainsaw and he wouldn't notice. There is only the swirling vortex of grief and pain and horror. It's dark and dreary and black...and he's being sucked into it.

He dimly hears Optimus's voice cut through the speakers. "Optimus Prime to all units: Megatron is no more!" Fowler jumps up and yells "Yes!", and Raf manages a small smile (because he is on the side of the Autobots, after all, and this is a good thing) but to do any more than that would crack him open. And reason tells him that a scout for the leader of the Decepticons shouldn't be that big of a deal, but it's his scout. His Bee. It's the biggest deal in the world to him.

And then, he hears another voice. Different. New. He's never heard it before.

"Hey Raf, if you can tear yourself away from your laptop for two seconds, get yourself up here so we can get to Cybertron already!"

His stomach plummets for the second time that day. No. No, it can't be. Bumblebee is dead. Undeniably dead. He heard it. It happened. But...

"Who's that?" Fowler inquires, leaning over Raf's shoulder.

It takes a few seconds for Raf to answer, so overcome and flabbergasted and completely done is he. He works his jaw, the word not coming out of his mouth. But he finally manages to whisper, "Bee?"

"Hey, buddy," Bumblebee answers softly.

A grin bigger than any he's ever smiled before splits his mouth open, and a laugh bubbles up in his stomach. His shaking fingers scrabble to set up a ground bridge, and he hastily instructs Fowler on how to use it before running through.

His tiny legs run faster than they've ever run before, taking him through the spinning green orb in record time. He scrubs away the tear tracks on his cheeks, but more keep coming, and by the time he reaches the other time his glasses are wet and his cheeks are wet and his nose is running and puffy, and he doesn't care.

He steps through the other side of the ground bridge and it swirls shut behind him. He comes to a stop, his jaw working and more tears brimming as he sees Bumblebee waiting for him. He manages a watery smile, and where once there was a bluey circle on Bumblebee's face there's a real mouth that's curved into a wide grin.

That's all Raf needs to break into a run, heading straight for his best friend. Bumblebee does the same, his huge pedes thundering on the ground as they sprint for each other. Bumblebees kneels down and scoops up his buddy, hugging him close to his chest. Raf is sobbing and laughing and hugging Bee as hard as he can, hardly daring to believe this is happening. It's the best thing in the world.

Eventually he releases Bee and stands up, scrubbing away his tears with his sleeve and wiping of his glasses. He gives an embarrassed laugh at being caught in such a chaotic manner, but the feeling is washed away in happiness that Bee is alive. He stares at Bee for a few seconds, before asking a whispered, "How?"

"Cybermatter," Bee answers cheerfully. "Got my voice back too."

"Yeah, I noticed," Raf replies, and they laugh together again, the other joining in. Even Optimus gives an amused chuckle.

Raf wraps his arms around one of Bee's digits, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm glad you're back, Bee," he whispers.

Bee cuddles him closer. "Yeah. Me too."

OoOoO

_~Friendship dies and true love lies_

_Night will fall and the dark will rise_

_When a good man goes to war~_

**I hope you liked it! Please review because reviews make my day so please. Make my day.(;**


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